Exposure apparatus and method for producing device

Abstract

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate P by locally filling a side of an image plane of a projection optical system PL with a liquid 50 and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate P through the liquid 50 and the projection optical system PL. The exposure apparatus includes a recovery unit 20 which recovers the liquid 50 outflowed to the outside of the substrate P. When the exposure process is performed in accordance with the liquid immersion method, the pattern can be transferred accurately while suppressing any environmental change even when the liquid outflows to the outside of the substrate.

1 . An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, comprising: 
 a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate; and    a recovery unit which recovers the liquid outflowed to outside of the substrate.    
   
   
       2 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate stage which holds the substrate, wherein the recovery unit has a recovery section which is provided on the substrate stage.  
   
   
       3 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the recovery section of the recovery unit is arranged at least a part of a surrounding portion of a holding section which holds the substrate provided on the substrate stage.  
   
   
       4 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the recovery section of the recovery unit includes a liquid-absorbing member which is arranged on the substrate stage.  
   
   
       5 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the liquid-absorbing member includes a porous member.  
   
   
       6 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the recovery section of the recovery unit includes a liquid recovery groove which is arranged on the substrate stage.  
   
   
       7 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the recovery section of the recovery unit includes a recovery hole which is provided in the substrate stage.  
   
   
       8 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the recovery unit recovers the liquid which has leaked into a back surface side of the substrate held by the substrate stage.  
   
   
       9 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the recovery unit discharges the liquid recovered by the recovery section when the substrate stage arrives at a substrate exchange position.  
   
   
       10 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising an suction unit which sucks the liquid recovered by the recovery section of the recovery unit.  
   
   
       11 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a tank which collects the liquid recovered by the recovery section of the recovery unit.  
   
   
       12 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a supply unit which supplies the liquid to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate, wherein the supply unit increases an amount of supply of the liquid when a liquid immersion portion, which is disposed between the projection optical system and the substrate, is located in the vicinity of a circumferential edge of the substrate.  
   
   
       13 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second recovery unit which recovers the liquid on the substrate, wherein the second recovery unit decreases an amount of recovery of the liquid when a liquid immersion portion, which is disposed between the projection optical system and the substrate, is located in the vicinity of a circumferential edge of the substrate.  
   
   
       14 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate stage, which holds the substrate, has an attraction hole which is provided to attract and hold the substrate, and the substrate stage includes a third recovery unit which recovers the liquid outflowed to the outside of the substrate and inflowed into the attraction hole.  
   
   
       15 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the third recovery unit includes a separator which separates the liquid from any gas inflowed from the attraction hole.  
   
   
       16 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the recovery unit includes a separator which separates the recovered liquid from any gas recovered together with the liquid.  
   
   
       17 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second recovery unit which recovers the liquid on the substrate above the substrate.  
   
   
       18 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a liquid supply unit which supplies the liquid onto the substrate above the substrate, wherein almost all of the liquid supplied onto the substrate is recovered by the recovery unit.  
   
   
       19 . An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, comprising: 
 a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate;    a liquid supply mechanism which supplies the liquid above the substrate; and    a recovery unit which recovers the liquid supplied from the liquid supply mechanism,    wherein the recovery unit does not perform the recovering above the substrate.    
   
   
       20 . An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, comprising: 
 a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate;    a suction system which has a suction port; and    a recovery unit which recovers the liquid sucked through the suction port.    
   
   
       21 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the recovery unit separates any gas from the liquid sucked through the suction port.  
   
   
       22 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the suction port is provided to hold an object at a predetermined position.  
   
   
       23 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 22 , further comprising a substrate stage, wherein the object is the substrate, and the suction port is provided on the substrate stage to attract and hold the substrate.  
   
   
       24 . An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, comprising: 
 a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate;    a substrate stage which holds the substrate; and    a recovery unit which recovers the liquid and at least a part of which is provided on the substrate stage.    
   
   
       25 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the recovery unit recovers the liquid which has leaked into a back surface side of the substrate.  
   
   
       26 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the recovery unit has a recovery section disposed on an upper surface of the substrate stage.  
   
   
       27 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein the substrate stage has a holding section which holds the back surface of the substrate, and the recovery unit has another recovery section disposed at the holding section.  
   
   
       28 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the recovery unit includes a liquid-absorbing member.  
   
   
       29 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the recovery unit has a groove portion which is provided on the substrate stage.  
   
   
       30 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the recovery unit has a separator which separates any gas from the recovered liquid.  
   
   
       31 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the liquid, which is recovered by the recovery unit, is discharged when the substrate stage is moved to a predetermined position.  
   
   
       32 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein the predetermined position includes a substrate exchange position.  
   
   
       33 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 24 , further comprising an interferometer mirror which is provided on the substrate stage, wherein a liquid recovery section of the recovery unit is arranged close to the interferometer mirror.  
   
   
       34 . A method for producing a device, characterized by using the exposure apparatus as defined in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       35 . A method for producing a device, characterized by using the exposure apparatus as defined in  claim 19 .  
   
   
       36 . A method for producing a device, characterized by using the exposure apparatus as defined in  claim 20 .  
   
   
       37 . A method for producing a device, characterized by using the exposure apparatus as defined in  claim 24 .  
   
   
       38 . An exposure method for exposing a substrate by transferring an image of a predetermined pattern onto the substrate with a projection optical system, comprising: 
 supplying a liquid above the substrate to a space between the projection optical system and the substrate;    recovering the supplied liquid from a position which is outside the substrate and which is lower than that of the substrate; and    exposing the substrate during a period in which the liquid is supplied and recovered.    
   
   
       39 . The exposure method according to  claim 38 , further comprising recovering the supplied liquid above the substrate.